The present invention relates generally to sensing systems, and in particular to low profile optical and pneumatic sensors.
Traditional air data systems for aircraft include one or more externally mounted Pitot probes in conjunction with local pressure sources. However, Pitot probes project sharply from the aircraft body and thus, introduce increased drag and reduced survivability for the system. Further, prior systems do not utilize dissimilar measurement sources for air data sensing. Thus, if environmental or other conditions lead to failure of one sensor, failure of all sensors for the air data system may be an issue. It is desirable to remove the effect of the sensors on the aerodynamics of the aircraft, and also provide dissimilar, redundant sensing.